Road, Rail & Access Issues

[LBA787]

In all honesty, I’m not surprised with the LCC bottle job fools.

Machester - Ring road motorway M60.
Leeds - might as well be a dirt track.

Manchester - integrated tram network.
Leeds - Jack all

Manchester - Airport 28 million pax with worldwide direct flights and an ongoing 1 billion pound expansion injection.

Leeds - fingers and everything else crossed for anything!

Manchester - HS2 will be built
Leeds - Just you wait... I’m off on a tangent but, if it’s not completed the Leeds south bank developments will be dead in the water.

As for LBA’s terminal I will tell you as a matter of fact, Jet2 will not expand beyond the current offering if the terminal isn’t sorted.

So frustrating!!

 

[rollo]

Oldest trick in the book, bring out the bad/controversial news on a Friday while most people are finishing up for Christmas obviously as I live in Worcestershire it doesn't effect me but just shows the general level of political decision making in this country.

 

[LBA4EVER]

In all honesty, I’m not surprised with the LCC bottle job fools.

Machester - Ring road motorway M60.
Leeds - might as well be a dirt track.

Manchester - integrated tram network.
Leeds - Jack all

Manchester - Airport 28 million pax with worldwide direct flights and an ongoing 1 billion pound expansion injection.

Leeds - fingers and everything else crossed for anything!

Manchester - HS2 will be built
Leeds - Just you wait... I’m off on a tangent but, if it’s not completed the Leeds south bank developments will be dead in the water.

As for LBA’s terminal I will tell you as a matter of fact, Jet2 will not expand beyond the current offering if the terminal isn’t sorted.

So frustrating!!

If the new terminal is not built LBA is all but dead, no new or current airlines would want to expand or start services from the current terminal, its unfit for purpose, disfigured with bits stuck on everywhere, too cramped, hell hole in summer.
The development at Manchester airport is just astonishing, Their new dual carridgeway relief road which starts roughly where the airport pub is incredible in itself. The last time I was down there it was a single lane road, now the new dual carridgeway and tram system. As for their terminal development I just love going over there to see the massive expansion. New routes,airlines and increased services happen every week there and not just Manchester airport, look whats happening around at other airports local to us!

What really gets me about Leeds is how its city centre is developing so much litrally doubling in size over the last 25 years, you see all the cranes up and all the massive new developments such as altus house, wellington place, south bank etc etc but yet any day of the week mon-fri from 3pm its road network just comes to a grinding halt and it has got a lot worse from what ive seen over the last 5 years or so, just too much traffic, too many people in leeds/Bradford and the country as a whole now and a city council that just wont wake up to the fact something big needs to be done, clowns the lotta them I say!!

 

[LBA8098]

I agree, should the terminal extension not go ahead, LBA is indeed a "dead duck" with no hope of securing new routes or airlines. January 2020 is going to be a watershed month for LBA if it is to break this paralysis.

 

[LBA4EVER]

I agree January 2020 is the month where they has to be change esp with Manchester airport going the way it is. who on earth would want to start operating a new service from LBA (LH for eg) How the leeds/Bradford district can have such a poor airport is shocking

 

[Heathrowflyer]

It hasnt helped that the terminal development announcement was delayed by LBA management. If plans had already been in place it would have been harder for the Council to pull back on the link road. Sadly stagnation breeds stagnation. Essentially if the rail link goes ahead its main purpose by the council will be as a park and ride commuter link. To assume that a traveller to the sirport will heave luggage on multiple train connections and then a shuttle bus is madness. It won't work. So it will become a commuter park and ride (all be it one that's not as direct as kirkstall Forge) and WH is right, it will create more traffic via the airport by commuters heading to the park and ride from Cookridge, otley, rawdon, yeadon and bramhope.

 

[jw2k]

Disappointing news about the Council ditching the link road proposals. It's almost laughable reading through that press release, with such gems as "further feasibility work would include cycling and pedestrian infrastructure to further encourage sustainable travel options" - errr, how many people going on their holidays or travelling on business are really going to be walking or cycling to the airport?! Shall I just strap my suitcase to the back of my bike while I cycle for an hour to get to LBA? It's an absolute joke.

Of course people living along the proposed routes were going to be against it! If the Council always listened to the NIMBYs then nothing would ever get built - no houses, no roads, no stations - nothing. And yet, as people have mentioned, there are some enormous housing developments going up in NW Leeds that presumably the locals were opposed to, and the Council is happy for these to go ahead - presumably because the costs lie with the developers, and probably the Council themselves receive some cash as a result.

It's natural that as a local resident who's going to be directly impacted you're going to feel particularly strongly about something like this, whereas there'll be 1,000s of people who would have benefitted from the link road proposals who a) might not have been aware of the plans at all, or b) were aware of them but just didn't feel as passionately in favour of them as the local residents who were passionately against. As others have said - it sounds a lot like the Council has just bottled it.

As for the ongoing plans for the parkway station, it's nice to hear at least a small shred of good news. If there's enough parking available and if the station itself is easily accessible from the main roads then I can see it being very popular with commuters. The amount of parking available at stations on the Wharfedale line is woefully insufficient, and the service on that line provided by Northern Rail during the morning commute is appalling with daily delays, cancellations and not nearly enough passenger capacity. Just look at the success of the new stations at both Kirkstall Forge and Apperley Bridge - "If you build it, they will come"!

Here's hoping that the new year will bring some more positive news from the airport itself...

 

[LBA787]

A

If the new terminal is not built LBA is all but dead, no new or current airlines would want to expand or start services from the current terminal, its unfit for purpose, disfigured with bits stuck on everywhere, too cramped, hell hole in summer.
The development at Manchester airport is just astonishing, Their new dual carridgeway relief road which starts roughly where the airport pub is incredible in itself. The last time I was down there it was a single lane road, now the new dual carridgeway and tram system. As for their terminal development I just love going over there to see the massive expansion. New routes,airlines and increased services happen every week there and not just Manchester airport, look whats happening around at other airports local to us!

What really gets me about Leeds is how its city centre is developing so much litrally doubling in size over the last 25 years, you see all the cranes up and all the massive new developments such as altus house, wellington place, south bank etc etc but yet any day of the week mon-fri from 3pm its road network just comes to a grinding halt and it has got a lot worse from what ive seen over the last 5 years or so, just too much traffic, too many people in leeds/Bradford and the country as a whole now and a city council that just wont wake up to the fact something big needs to be done, clowns the lotta them I say!!

Yes the A555, wonderful when you have the political will.

Phase 1 done and onto phase 2 linking it northwards to connect with the M60 between Stockport and Bredbury.

 

[LBA4EVER]

that quote "further feasibility work would include cycling and pedestrian infrastructure to further encourage sustainable travel options" you could not make that up its so laughable! can you really imagine a stag do heading to Benidorm getting on their bikes! Maybe greta but not a benny stag do! What has the Leeds transport system come to!

 

[Aviador]

I read last week LCC are looking at providing 700 spaces for cyclists at Leeds Railway Station. LCC have lost their marbles.

 

[LBA4EVER]

I read last week LCC are looking at providing 700 spaces for cyclists at Leeds Railway Station. LCC have lost their marbles.

I read last week LCC are looking at providing 700 spaces for cyclists at Leeds Railway Station. LCC have lost their marbles.

Am just so disappointed and frustrated with this terrible approach and lack of ambition towards any decent transport in Leeds, all they ever think about is bloody cycle lanes! If LBA was given a change decades ago then firm roots would be laid and big growth would occur resulting in better infrastructure, and in a city like Leeds passenger figures would of rocketed probably a lot more than we talk about and want on here.

 

[Heathrowflyer]

The new cycle lanes on Scott Hall Lane/Harrogate Road roundabouts have made the dual carriageway much narrower and therefore harder to navigate the turns on the roundabouts. I broke down near there today so had a chance to see how many people used these cycle lanes over a three hour period. Guess what....not one cyclist went past. Also, used the bus mid day last week...waited an hour for 3 cancelled buses in a row. If its LCC's aim to get us to use cycles and buses then it's not working. Before continually pushing public transport perhaps the Councillors should try using it...the buses are unreliable, peppered with cancellations and expensive.

 

[a300boy]

Got on the 757 bus to Leeds Central from Lba south side one day this week and due mainly to roadworks on Kirkstall Road. it took 1 hour 20 mins.
I would you risk missing your flight on a bus ?
Train system is shambolic it would seem by reports made so I wonder if the new park and ride station is going to be used.
I read somewhere that even with all the public transport to Manchester Airport only a small percentage of passengers use it.
I would not use public transport to any airport unless travelling the day before the flight and as I get older the problem of bags being carried becomes even more pertinent.

 

[Finger66]

Just returned from a short break in Liverpool and drove both ways. Went via Colne and M65 which was pretty much a breeze. Returned via the M62 yesterday due to where else we needed to be en route. Admittedly one of the busiest travelling days of the year, but do I need to say any more re journey time! LCC are missing one huge trick by not investing in our local road infrastructure especially with LBA. The airport could bring in millions for the Leeds and Yorkshire regions. Short sightedness of the highest order!

 

[SNOWMAN]

hi finger 66
re LCC you cannot knock a nail in a knot

 

[Aviador]

As for increasing cycle lanes, Leeds could have the most cycle lanes in Europe, it isn't going to have a huge impact on the number of car journeys because of the topography of the city. I have no problem with cycle lanes being installed or improved but this should only be done as part of a wider improvement strategy to improve the general flow of all traffic.

Well I think it's safe to say everybody here is dissatisfied with Leeds City Council's decision to cancel the proposed airport link road.

Trying to move the discussion on, has there been any formal commitment to spending on the Leeds Ring Road and if so could the money from the cancelled airport link road be redirected to upgrade the Ring Road further? We know the majority of the traffic delays in North West Leeds point to the inadequacies of the Leeds Ring Road and if more was done to alleviate this, journey times to the airport and along the A65 can still be greatly iimproved.

 

[Bigman]

Cycles are a problem, not a cure. Wellington Street is horrendous now as it is down to 1 lane of traffic Westbound due to yet another bloody cycle lane with no cyclists on it. Horsforth roundabout heading out onto Rawdon Road needs just 1 cyclist going slow and it brings the whole road to a standstill as the Westbound lane is not wide enough.

 

[LBA4EVER]

Most of Leeds roads are horrendous now, whatever LCC do just takes for ever to do then just causes even more misery for drivers which in turn pollutes the air more because everyone is just gridlocked. Its all over the city not just north west leeds, in my job I see it all and certainly over the last 5 years or so its got to the point now where once its gets to 3pm forget trying to get anywhere. LCC should be ashamed of themselves, but hey lets just bang another cycle lane in!

 

[White Heather]

Most of Leeds roads are horrendous now, whatever LCC do just takes for ever to do then just causes even more misery for drivers which in turn pollutes the air more because everyone is just gridlocked. Its all over the city not just north west leeds, in my job I see it all and certainly over the last 5 years or so its got to the point now where once its gets to 3pm forget trying to get anywhere. LCC should be ashamed of themselves, but hey lets just bang another cycle lane in!

To a degree, and for once, I agree with you, but to be fair to the council, it wasn't them that cancelled the super tram, it was the Government Minister who then diverted the money to his own constituency so they could have a tram instead - one which goes to their airport! That would certainly have helped to a degree. Nor did the council cancel the Trolley Bus, although in my view that was a rubbish scheme anyway.

However, it was the council who yet again failed to understand the value of the airport when planning both, because neither went anywhere near LBA. Rather than running the tram up to the Lawnswood student halls of residence (which have now gone to be replaced by posh housing) and through Headingley, which was probably the most expensive part of the entire system to construct, it should have terminated at LBA and in my view, should have run along the entire A65 corridor instead.

The problem with Leeds City Council is that they have a tendency to roll over when the NIMBYs moan about a scheme, particularly on this side of Leeds. There are exceptions of course - they took no notice of said NIMBYs when going ahead with the East Leeds Orbital Route, yet this road serving the airport is canned due to lack of support ! I don't believe that for one minute and for me it was all about the £100m cost, brought about by the fact the road had to traverse some very difficult land, including steep gradients, with the result that large lengths of it required to be in deep cuttings with high, and expensive supporting walls, plus several bridges. I also feel that when built, it would have caused mayhem in the short stretch of road between the point it joined the A65 at Rawdon Cemetery, down to the notorious Ring Road roundabout at Horsforth Broadway. That stretch cannot cope now so imagine how it would be with traffic from the new road too. Whichever way you look at it though, it is a total mess up yet again by the Council. Five years completely wasted and God knows how much money wasted too. I cannot help but wonder how much the Council have spent over the years on developing schemes that then don't actually happen!

 

[Heathrowflyer]

The classic council mish mash was the stretch of dual carriage way on Harrogate Roaf from Moortown roundabout to Alwoodley Gates...the proposal was to take it down to single lane on both sides of the dual carriageway and these lanes then to become cycle and bus lanes. How this even got to consultation stage ( the council had done positive feasibility studies) I dont know as it would have caused absolute mayhem and traffic jams. It was pure madness...thank goodness it got stopped. When asked how much time this would save on a bus journey we were told just 30 secs!!!! Millions of pounds for 30 secs.